Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-12-04
THE INSANE.
The board OF commissioners rs Medi-
col Superintendents.
Correspondence Of the Richmond Dispatch.l
STAUNToN. December 3, 1887.

Correspondence of the Richmond Dispatch.l
STAUNToN, December 3, 1887.
In the Dispatch correspondence
from Stanton August 10, 1887, was
given the joint resolution of the Legis-
lature creating Board of Commissioners
of the medical superintendent of the
several insane asylums of the State for
the purpose of districting the State and
providing that hereafter white patients
from such districts should be sent to the
asylums assigned to the district from
which they come-the colored insane
from all the State to be sent, as formerly,
to the Central Asylum at Petersburg.
The board were also charged with the
duty of investigating the propriety OF
making transfers from one institution to
another, and further to suggest all other
matters pertinent to the treatment of the
insane of the State.
The first meeting of the board com
menced at the Western Asylum on the
date named, the districting was agreed
upon and published in the Dispatch at
the time, and subsequently other topics
were considered at the Southwestern
Asylum, where the board continued its
August deliberations.
During November another session OF
the board was held at the Central
and Eastern Asylums and report
agreed upon in reference to all the mat
tiers desired by the Legislature. In
January another session will be held in
Richmond, and then the whole report
reviewed and perfected and submitted
to the Legislature in accordance to Its
directions.
The assignment of patients hereafter
will be to the asylum in the district OF
the patients residence. In relation to
transfers, it is stated there are ITO pa
tents in the Western Asylum from the
Southwestern territory and fifty who come
from the Eastern. In the Eastern Asylum
are fifty from the Western and ten from
the Southwestern, and in the Southwest
ern are fifty belonging to the Western
and twenty to the Eastern division. To
make the transfers so as to place the pa
tients in the asylums of their own ter
ritory would cost about $1,000. Not
only because of the expense, but in view
of the condition of the patients transfers
as a policy are not recommended. These
patients for the most part are accus-
toned to their present homes, and
changes might result in harm to them,
because some of them have been where
they are for twenty-five years, and the
aDreoliing up of their associations and
total changes otherwise would be hurtiul.
But in cases where friends desire it, and
no harm likely to occur to the patient,
the superintendent is authorized to trans
fer. the parties paying the expense at
tached to it. Nearly oil of the patients
of the $50 above enumerated are lncura-
BILE.
Additions to the asylum by building
associated domitories for the chronic in
curables are recommended.
The epileptic insane should have sepa-
rate buildings specially constructed for
their benefit.
In cases where idiots have been adj
mitted, who are harmless, such should
be sent to the almshouses of counties or
cities from which they come.
1t is recommended that sheriffs orper-
sons designated by the Code in charge
of patients to be sent to an asylum shall
draw authority for transportation from
the clerk OF the county or city after the
superintendent who is to receive the pa
tent shall order it.
No director nor any other officer OF an
asylum should directly or indirectly be
interested in any contract, sale, or pur-
chase in relation to the asylum or Its
support
superintendent and assistant physi-
clans should be exempt from summons
to testify as experts i'll cases Of alleged
insanity.
Not more than one director should be
appointed from any single county or
city.
1t is recommended that the asylum
shall be designated Insane" instead of
"Lunatic.
A lenQthy recommendation is made in
reference TO the criminal insane, looking
to the better protection of society from
| that class. CANTON,